IPL or Laser Treatments for Rosacea Treatment?

I have rosacea and my skin is very sensitive. Which would be better, IPL or laser treatments?

A bad experience with IPL on my chest left welts under the hands of an experienced nurse practitioner, with a good reputation, and who worked with a prominent dermatologist. The treatments did reduce the redness and brown spots without any any scarring, thankfully. I definitely want to improve the texture and eliminate the redness on my face but I'm very nervous after the bad experience, especially to have it on my face!

Doctor Answers 5

Either IPL or the Vbeam laser would be excellent choices

July 31st, 2009

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Thank you for your question.

Both IPL and the Vbeam (Flash Lamp Pulsed Dye) laser are excellent choices for rosacea treatment and would work well for anyone with sensitive skin. I am sorry that you had experienced burning with the previous IPL treatment, but I am happy that you achieved good results. Getting burned with IPL is more a function of setting choices rather than sensitive skin. When you choice to do IPL again, simply ask your physician to use lower settings and then increase the settings in future treatments as you tolerate them better.

Hexamidine Good To Accompany Rosacea Treatment

April 10th, 2014

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IPL treatments can have negative side effects and some
downtime. It is understandable that you
are hesitant to have the same treatment on your face. Vivier has a great line of products
containing hexamidine. This ingredient
is excellent for Rosacea, Sensitive Skin and Reactive Skin. Combined with a moderate IPL treatment you
will notice a decrease in your Rosacea and sensitive skin.

IPL for redness

July 15th, 2012

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In experienced hands, IPL is an excellent treatment for redness, spider veins and brown spots. Chests are usually more sensitive than faces and require a lower setting than faces. Asking the NP to do a small patch test before treating your full face would probably make you feel more comfortable having the treatment.

Rosacea laser treatments

September 8th, 2009

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Both IPL and laser are good options for rosacea. IPL tends to require more treatments but be better tolerated (less down time), while laser tends to require fewer treatments but can be more painful and cause more bruising.

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as
a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you
have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute
or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.